If we thought we were about to see more AI from Apple, that’ll have to wait. According to Mark Gurman in one of his most recent newsletters, the Cupertino company wants to enter the augmented reality glasses market. This desire is reportedly directly related to Tim Cook, which is why Apple is developing them in a way similar to the ones already available from Meta.
Apple’s first version of augmented reality glasses wouldn’t be that spectacular.
Part of jumping on this tech bandwagon early on might not be Apple’s best bet. It would leverage existing technology like Siri and Visual Intelligence, though the glasses’ main drawback would be privacy. The glasses wouldn’t capture all types of media like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses do. Mark Gurman has indicated that Apple’s technologies would be present as a “stopgap” solution until they can deliver “true augmented reality glasses.”
Apple apparently has to strive for perfection in the development of several technologies. For example, high-resolution displays, a battery that offers good autonomy despite its small size, and a chip that offers good performance. It also needs to develop an operating system with apps that make it attractive to use and at a competitive price that appeals to consumers.
Will Apple do it to compete against Meta or to make a better product?
What’s striking about this report by Mark Gurman is that Tim Cook sees this product as a priority, considering he believes they can be “industry leaders” over Meta. This is somewhat counterproductive, considering that with Apple Vision Pro, they have pending issues regarding product availability in various countries and perhaps the development of a generation affordable for the majority of Apple’s audience.
While Meta continues to advance by leaps and bounds and has presented the next step in augmented reality glasses with Orion, it is far from materializing in the short or medium term. Its present is adequate with both Meta Ray-Ban and its Meta Quest, although the latter product is considered a direct competitor to Apple Vision Pro. The difference is in terms of price and operating system interface.
What this report by Mark Gurman would demonstrate is that Tim Cook is, in a sense, clinging to the competition and being the leader so as not to lose out on Apple’s leadership in almost everything. We’ll see if more details about the product emerge throughout the year and whether it’s truly a compelling move or a mere whim on the part of Apple’s CEO.
